Month: October 2016

Most of the students in Georgetown are familiar with Sweetgreen. Some believe that Sweetgreen is the best post-work out snack while others say that it is a quick lunch that is taken between classes. This was not the case six years ago.

In the past, Sweetgreen was only known to its founders, Jonathan Neman, Nathaniel Ru and Nicolas Jammet. The three were students at Georgetown, and when they were starting their senior year in college, they decided to think about forming a healthy and very affordable snack option for the people living in Georgetown.

The three students bonded very fast because of the love they had for food, the need to come up with something, and the need to solve the employment problem they would face when they were done with their education. Their parents were doing very well in several businesses, and the trio wanted to outshine them too.

After coming together, the students laid out their unique vision, and out of it, they created a business plan. The greatest problem they faced was the fact that Nathaniel, Neman, and Jammet had not acquired any experience in the past. Although their parents had done very well in business, they did not know how to create a business plan. The three did not have any knowledge in the food industry, and it was difficult starting all over again.

The lack of experience encountered by the students turned out to be a positive thing: it led to the success of Sweetgreen, and it also gave the students an opportunity to approach each and every problem that came their way with a new and fresh set of eyes. According to Jammet, this great realization led to the success they experience today.

The group decided that the original location of Sweetgreen would be M Street. The location was only five hundred feet, and the resources were not adequate too. This made the group to think harder and also to focus on the things that they couldn’t do without in the new business. They chose to be committed to quality ingredients and sustainability. They got their advice from successful restaurant owners, respected architects and the Georgetown faculty.

Although the business plan was not considered as a school project, the three students used their last year in school and everything they were learning was applied to the new business idea.